Episode #91: Guiding Global Citizens, Becoming Tomorrow's Leaders with Patricia Gartland

Patricia Gartland has been Superintendent of Schools for School District No. 43 (Coquitlam) since 2015, British Columbia's third-largest school district with over 32,000 students and 4,000 employees in over 70 schools and facilities. Patricia instituted what has become one of the most successful revenue-generating International Education Programs in B.C.<br />Your background<br />When I was young, I was very interested in other cultures and languages. I studied French in grade 5 and every language that they offered in high school: French, Spanish, and German. When I went to the Univerity of British Columbia, I studied German, Italian, and French Language and Literature. I also traveled for four months every summer to Europe to develop my skills in the languages. I really think that studying abroad is a key experience for all students to have to really appreciate the variety and the beauty of the world so they can learn about opportunities that there can be in life. Traveling for me really changed my life and shaped who I became. <br />I always was thinking I wanted to be an educator, but also be an entrepreneur. International education was the opportunity to bring those two together. <br />Languages and math can be a mental block for many who think they cannot learn math or a different language. But when you open your mind to it and let it in at any age, you can be very successful.<br />Journey as an educator<br />In Canada, the other official language is French. I became a French Immersion Teacher and that gave me an opportunity to speak French all day while living in Coquitlam. I never had to worry about getting a job because there was such a demand for French Immersion teachers and there still is today. I was very interested in multiculturalism and cultural initiatives. I founded the multicultural committee and wrote my master’s thesis on multiculturalism and racism policies. <br />I was also interested in technology and was at the district level as a Program Coordinator for Technology Implementation. I taught